Air service to small communities-directions for the future

Introduction: In the decade between 1962 and 1972, certificated air service was deleted at about 250 points in the United States. In some of these cases, the service was no longer needed because of improved highway access to communities of interest. In other cases, the rapidly emerging commuter carrier industry replaced certificated carriers at marginal points However, in many cases, the cities were left without adequate transportation In addition, many cities that have never received air service now face a similar plight. The federal government, through the creation of the local service air carriers in the mid-1940s and their subsequent subsidy, has attempted to provide better air service to the nation's smaller towns. But the questions persist Is the federal subsidy program effective? Should federal regulation and/or subsidy be extended to commuter carriers? Indeed, should the federal government subsidize this type of service at all? What national goals does subsidy support? Perhaps most important, who should be formulating the answers to these questions?